APS Academy Newcastle - Declan
Name: Declan
Employing agency: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Government Entry Level Program: Data Cadetship
APS Academy Campus: Newcastle, located at the University of Newcastle
Course: Bachelor of Mathematics (major - statistics)
Declan is studying a Bachelor of Mathematics at the University of Newcastle, majoring in statistics. When Declan read about the Data Cadetship advertised via the university Career Hub, he saw it as a great opportunity to continue his studies in his home town, while gaining experience working for the Australian Government in a paid part-time role based at the APS Academy Campus in Newcastle.
Declan is undertaking a Data Cadetship with the Australian Bureau of Statics and works alongside other students employed by various Australian Public Service (APS) agencies.
Doing valuable work for the Australian Government
“Within the ABS, I work in a team called Data Integration and Assembly.
We package up a lot of important administrative data from other government agencies, for researchers and other internal government stakeholders that want to do some analysis, to make lots of informed decisions, whether it be for policy or legislation.
Whatever it may be, anyone who wants to use our data generally has a very important research task or decision to make.”
Flexible work and study at the same location
“Monday and Tuesdays I work here. If I’ve got to switch days because I have a class on that day, there’s no issue.
Thursdays and Fridays are specific uni days and I have a lot of classes and do assignments.
It’s like a remote office for a bunch of different government agencies where we work and we undertake our studies at the same time.
It’s very diverse, the largest group is people who are studying computer science, there’s one or two engineers, one’s studying actuarial science, then there’s maths, psychology, bio-medical science.
It’s a very tight-knit group here from different backgrounds. It’s great because there’s a bunch of people around my age, a few people who are older, but we’re all in the same boat – we’re looking to start our careers.
Our campus supervisor looks after us all and makes sure everything in the office runs smoothly.”
Value in learning from others and being exposed to the APS Craft
“Everybody’s got an analytical element to their degree, whether it’s doing coding or some mathematics. I definitely get a lot of valuable insight into how the same skills that I’m learning can be transferred across disciplines.
There’s a big emphasis on integrity in the public service. It’s kind of been like an intro to what life is going to be when you finish your degree and how your education is going to be used in the industry – out in the real world”.
Building capability and a career in the APS
“Finishing my degree, getting into a masters, potentially. As part of our cadet program, we’re guaranteed a graduate spot within our agency. From what I've experienced so far, that’s definitely something that would be on the cards. I like where I’m at.”